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I've been doing lots of research about different languages and
frameworks for a project I'm planning. Your help in deciding what to do
would be of great assistance.
I used to program in highschool for a couple years. I haven't done much
since then and I know i'm pretty useless as a programmer. I know that
if i put my head to it, I could muddle my way through.
You see, I would like to create a site where I could create a top 100
list(of what? trade secret!).
basic features:
- users are able to vote on their favorite items
- votes are dynamically entered into the database
- users are only capable of voting for items once(and not able to skew
results)
- I can sort and display different groups like biggest gainers etc...
- users can add items to the list so i don't have to do all the work
- duplicate item entries are prevented
advanced features(to be added later):
- personal user reviews on individual pages
- users can track ownership of items on personal pages that keep track
of their reviews
is ruby/rails the best way to develop my site and is it going to grow
with my skills and ambitions for the site. the site is a labor of love
and i don't want to choose the wrong language and framework.
So. what i need to know is this:
a: is this the right framework? and if not, which one?
b: what would be your plan of attack for this project? and where are the
best resources to learn?
-Erik.
ps. please please please help me!

On Jan 10, 2006, at 11:42 PM, Erik Ferguson wrote:
> list(of what? trade secret!).>> So. what i need to know is this:>> a: is this the right framework? and if not, which one?> b: what would be your plan of attack for this project? and where are> the> best resources to learn?>> -Erik.
Hey Erik. I really think you are on the right track by considering
Rails. Ruby is the perfect language for both entry level and advanced
programming, and Rails will make easy work of the site you have in
mind. It'll also provide a great foundation for all those features you
haven't though of yet. :) So, pick up Programming Ruby, and the Rails
book and get started.
The actual first steps might be to draw wire-frames of what your
application will look like. Another approach is to focus on the data
model first. Either way is correct in my book.
Rob

On 11.1.2006, at 9.42, Erik Ferguson wrote:
> a: is this the right framework? and if not, which one?
That's a subjective matter, but I'd say, given your background and
the nature of the site, Rails would be an excellent choice.
> b: what would be your plan of attack for this project?
Go piece by piece and start from the most important part of the
system. This is pretty much the agile/extreme programming approach so
if you google them (and "getting real" on 37signals.com), you'll find
lots of good advice on shipping a successful project.
> and where are the> best resources to learn?
For learning, buy two books from The Pragmatic Programmers:
Programming Ruby (2nd ed.) [1] and Agile Web Development with Rails
[3]. If you think you've forgotten much of what programming is about,
Chris Pine's Learn to Program [3] (it's using Ruby as a language)
might be really useful, too. Part of it is also available free online
[4].
As a low-cost alternative (and a start, besides [4]), I'd recommend
going through why's poignant guide [5] and the many resources
available in the Rails wiki. But especially regarding Rails, there's
by far no as complete and coherent resource as the book by the two D's.
//jarkko
[1] http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/ruby/index.html
[2] http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/rails/index.html
[3] http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/titles/fr_ltp/index.html
[4] http://pine.fm/LearnToProgram/
[5] http://poignantguide.net/ruby/